IN THE HOUSE: Brandon Curling Club celebrating 125 years

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This article was published 06/11/2014 (4234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Curling Club has endured a lot over the years.

The club started on the corner of Victoria Avenue and 18th Street before moving to the Exhibition Grounds in 1953. It’s been in four buildings since then, two of which burned down, but the members kept the club alive. It moved into its current location in the Keystone Centre in 1992 and this season is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

The club is just two years younger than CurlManitoba, and its still going strong, thanks in large part to its members.

“The volunteers, the members seem to chip in when you need it,” club president James Barnett said. “It’s that attitude that keeps it going in small towns or in our club. For our club, the city is a nice size that we can get a decent membership.”

The club has big plans for its 125th anniversary celebration. The Brier Tankard has already been here, as former Brandonite Nolan Thiessen brought the Canadian men’s championship trophy as part of a free junior clinic he put on last month. A high performance junior program is also being run out of the club this season and Kaitlyn Lawes and Reid Carruthers are coming in February as part of their Road Show tour.

A funspiel is set for Nov. 22 to celebrate the anniversary. People who don’t want to hit the ice are welcome to go upstairs and enjoy the party. Teams and individuals can register for the funspiel by contacting the club at 204-726-3560.

The Brandon club will also host the provincial men’s Safeway Championship from Feb. 4-8 at Westman Place.

“I definitely think it helps round out the year as a special year for sure,” Barnett said. “We haven’t hosted a sizeable event outside of our club since 2008. It’s kind of nice to get back into that. We’ll have our usual group of volunteers, but after seven years you’re going to have a new group of volunteers to help the event and support the club to make it happen.

“It will be good for a new crew to be involved and see where that leads us in the future for hosting events as well.”

While curling registration numbers are on the decline across the country, the Brandon club has been holding steady and Barnett believes it has a bright future.

“I believe we do,” he said. “Our membership over the last four or five years has held pretty steady when we understand the averages across the country are drastically reducing. I don’t know for how many more years, but I would like to think our club is sustainable for quite a few more years, virtually at the size that we are.”

MCT: Dauphin’s Greg Todoruk is skipping a team in the Manitoba and World Curling Tour’s Whites Drug Store Classic in Swan River from Friday to Monday. Former Brandonite William Lyburn and Jeff Stoughton’s squad, which includes Brandon’s Rob Fowler at third, are also entered. Carberry’s Kelly Marnoch and Brandonite Scott Ramsay will skip teams at the Ken Kurbis bonspiel in Winnipeg from Friday to Monday.

EXTRA ENDS: Friday is the last day to register for the Golden Gals district playdowns, which will take place at the Riverview Curling Club from Nov. 21-23. Call Lyn Bell at 204-834-2289 … The Sun Life Junior Challenge, which runs from Nov. 13-16, is looking for volunteers. Call the Brandon club at 204-726-3560 … The Riverview Curling Club will host the Sweeping Cancer from our House bonspiel from Nov. 14-16. Cost is $140. Email sweepingcancer@gmail.com for more information … Tickets for the Safeway Championship are available at the Keystone Centre box office. A week pass is $100, while a day pass is $25 and evening draws cost $10. Children 12 and under get in for free.